School Classrooms, Hallways, and Playgrounds to Be New Intervention Points for a Growing Number of Students with Asthma

Teachers and education support
professionals are now able to get the
information they need to help the growing
number of students in America who
have childhood asthma. The National
Education Association, the NEA Health
Information Network, and the Merck
Childhood Asthma Network, Inc., have
launched a free online training program
that will educate members of NEA on
how to help students better manage
their asthma while at school. It is also
available to other members of the school
community, such as parents, principals,
superintendents, and school board members,
at www.neaacademy.org.

The online course, Managing Asthma
in the School Environment, provides
school staff with essential information
about asthma, allowing them to be better
prepared to help students manage
their asthma while at school. It includes
an overview of asthma, including its
causes, signs, and symptoms; tips for
controlling and treating asthma; and
strategies for creating asthma-friendly
schools. Additionally, it provides suggested
changes that can be made to
reduce triggers in school environments.